Resin coated metal foil decal



June 2, 1959 STEFFEY 2,889,233

RESIN COATED METAL FOIL DECAL Filed April 1, 1957 fg/I,

{ INvENTdR EDMOND A.ST'EFFE.Y

United States Patent 6 2,889,233 RESIN COATED METAL FOIL DECAL Edmond A. Stetfey, Chicago, Ill. Application April 1, 1957, Serial No. 649,973

4 Claims. (Cl. 117-31) This invention relates to a novel adhesive-backed, printed applique made of metal foil and plastic, and the method of making including printing such an applique.

Heretofore, appliques for applying a pattern, a design, or indicia to sufaces have been classified on the basis of material, into either of three general classes: (1) cloth, paper, or plastic sheet material; (2) relatively rigid, heavy gauge sheet or metal plate; or (3) light, flexible metal foil or combinations of metal and other materials, an example of such a combination being metal-backed plastic such as Mylar.

Paper or cloth appliques, such as decals, are satisfac- {tory for certain uses but are not particularly durable. Plastic sheet, while more durable, is not self-supporting and, therefore, is more ditficult to apply to a surface and is deformable too easily for many industrial uses. Cloth, paper and sheet plastic appliques, furthermore, have a flimsy, cheap appearance as contrasted with appliques made of metal, whether foil or plate.

Thin metal plate appliques are expensive to make and apply, although where exceptional durability is required, no substitute has been found as satisfactory.

Foil appliques, or appliques made of metal-backed plastic sheet, combine the economy and ease of applicaition of decals with certain of the wear qualities of thin metal sheet or plate and have found an accepted place in industry where currently they are used on hundreds of manufactured items instead of conventional nameplates or decals. An applique made in accordance with the present invention is classifiable in the third class, since it is made from a combination of metal foil and plastic material.

It is often desirable to provide an applique having a multi-color design. Such a design must be permanent, Without color fade wherein the markings become difiicult to read or identify. Economy of manufacture as well as susceptibility to manufacture with the use of known techniques is essential to a satisfactory and commercially acceptable product.

In applying a multi-color design to paper, cloth or plastic materials, as in the making of labels or decals, it has been common to print the design. The particular printing process used depends on various factors, such as the quantity of labels or decals to be produced, availability of equipment, the particular material on which the design is to be imprinted, etc. When printing plastic sheets, however, certain problems are encountered in connection with obtaining adequate adhesion between the ink and the base sheet. Different methods of applying inks have been developed to solve this problem and different inks have been tried with varying degrees of success. For example, it has been proposed for printing on a vinyl sheet to produce a label, that a vinyl ink be employed so that satisfactory adhesion is obtained to the sheet material. While this has been satisfactory for relatively thick plastic sheets .250"), as the thickness of the plastic sheet which is to be imprinted decreases to film or foil dimension (above .004), the difiiculties increase, for any ink which contains a solvent or plasticizer for the plastic film tends to melt or pucker the film when it is applied. In other words, the fihn is destroyed by the ink. To solve this particular problem, different methods have been suggested and tried, but the trade usually avoids the difliculty by employing inks which contain no solvent or plasticizer for the plastic film material. In fact, research is currently being conducted to find new inks for use on plastic film and foil such as will have adequate adhesion with the. film and yet be inexpensive, readily available, and easy to apply.

While cloth, paper and plastic materials have been used for making appliques, and in producing multi-color designs the designs have been printed, when metal foil is used for the applique material other application techniques have been required since it is extremely difiicult and overly expensive to print directly on metal foil and obtain a sufiiciently permanent design. Thus while aluminum foil is a preferred material for foil appliques due to the resistance against corrosion, light-weight, strength and cheapness of this metal foil, and for these reasons its use has become more widespread in recent years, there is not at the present time commercially available an applique made of aluminum and which may be printed so as to enable reproduction of a multi-color design at low cost.

Heretofore, in applying a design to aluminum foil in the manufacture of appliques, alternative methods have been employed. Either the surface of the foil is treated so as to be receptive to printing inks, paints, or dyes, as by anodizing, or a resinous coating such as lacquer or shellac is applied to the foil and the design imprinted on the coating.

In cairying out the latter method, it has been considered necessary to avoid using an ink which contains a solvent readily attacking the resinous base coat, for the prior art teaches that the use of such an ink brings rise to the danger of dissolving or lifting parts of the coating from the base material. This is the expected result of the use of such materials, and is similar to the result obtained with plastic foil or film which puckers or melts when a solvent containing ink is applied for printing, as explained above.

Various inks applied directly to aluminum foil and various coating and ink combinations were tried in a series of attempts to produce a printed aluminum foil applique following these teachings, with unsatisfactory results. For example, a lacquer was applied to the foil and a lacquer-solvent containing ink was applied to the lacquer coat. The coating flaked and the product was unacceptable as the prior art teaches would be the expected result. It is now proposed to use an aluminum foil coated with a vinyl resin and to print a design in color on the film using a strong, vinyl resin ink which would melt the film if it were not backed by the aluminum foil.

Therefore, the present invention has for its principal object to overcome the foregoing diflicul't'ies and provide a multi-color printed applique which combines an aluminum foil, a resin film and an ink prepared using resin compatible with the resin film and a strong solvent for the resin film.

Another object of the invention is to provide a process for making an applique which includes using a vinylcoated aluminum foil sheet, printing the design in color using a strong, vinyl ink which dissolves the coating where the ink is applied, and drying and curing the new coating. An applique produced with this process is eminently more satisfactory for certain industrial uses on manufactured products entering the channels of trade, due to its properties of toughness, resistance to abrasion, resistance to alkalis and acids, color-fade resistance, metallic "quality appearance, and self-support and non-stretch. The term vinyl resin as used herein is not to be limited to the specific vinyl resins named but also includes vinyl resins of the same general character. Moreover, the invention is in no way limited to the use of vinyl resins, since other similar known resins made from different monomers may be used, such as, for example, butyrate resins, and acrylic resins, so long as they provide an applique having the same physical properties described hereinbefore.

Other objects will be evident to a man skilled in the art as the following description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view showing a sheet of printed appliques in multi-color design;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, diagrammatic sectional view showing a vinyl coated foil being printed by a screen; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary transverse sectional view showing the article of Figure 2 after the printing ink has been applied to make designs like that embodied on the printed sheet of Figure 1.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, a preferred embodi- 4 rather than matte or dull finished to provide a bright, lightreflecting background for the imprinted design.

For the purpose of obtaining an applique design in permanent color, the vinyl-coated aluminum foil sheet 10 is next printed using a strong, vinyl ink which is compatible with the film and which is effective to dissolve the vinyl film where the ink is applied. The design may be a solid color, or a geometrical design or indicia imprinted as by a mechanical printing process, the silk screen method of printing having been found particularly suited. Vinyl ink may be silk screened, for such apparatus as is required for silk screen printing employs no rubber rollers or printing plates of material which is attached by the vinyl ink. It will be understood, however, that any commercial color printing process compatible with the use of vinyl ink can be used, so long as the teachings of this invention are followed. Fig. 2 shows diagrammatically a screen 15, portions of which have been rendered opaque to printing ink by using photographic film 16, leaving open areas 17 through which ink may be applied to the vinyl coating on the foil.

So-called standard vinyl inks have been used and found satisfactory, a commercial ink of this type has a composition as follows:

ment has been shown in the drawings and will be de- White ink scribed below in detail. It should be understood, however, Parts that there is no intention to limit the invention to the VMCH 6 specific form disclosed, but, on the contrary, the intention VYHH 1 6 is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and Plasticizer (dioctyl-phthalate) 1 equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the in- Pigment (titanium-oxide+extending pigment) 48 vention as expressed in the appended claims. Solvent (isophorone+cyclohexanone) 39 Chemical Composition at Intrinsic Refractive Softening Tensile Vinylite Resin Other Viscosity Sp. Gr. Index Point, 1*. Strength,

Vinyl Vinyl p.s.i. Ohlor- Aceide tate 1 VYHH s7 13 53 1. 36 1. 53 140-150 8, 000-10, 000

A sheet 10 of appliques 11 printed in color is shown in Figure 1. In accordance with the present invention this sheet 10 comprises an aluminum foil 12 on the surface of which a coating 13 of an appropriate vinyl resin is firmly bonded. The individual appliques 11 are printed in color by using an appropriate vinyl resin ink.

As new practiced, the preferred embodiment of the process of this invention is to use a vinyl-coated aluminum foil the dimensions of which are not critical but which should preferably be approximately .0035" in thickness of which about .003" comprises the foil. An aluminum foil, alloy 1145 full hard, of Kaiser Aluminum Company, has been found to be satisfactory for the foil material, and a vinyl resin such as the tri-polymer Vinylite VMCH of Union Carbide and Carbon Company, has been found satisfactory for the coating.

The vinyl ink when applied to the vinyl film apparently dissolves at least the surface layer of the film, causing the ink to penetrate and fuse with the coating and perhaps it adheres to the foil itself. An examination of the drawings shows that in the regions receiving the ink the layers of material on the foil are thicker by the layer of ink. Due to the solvent action of the ink, however, the layers of ink and vinyl film are not distinct, and, in effect, the ink penetrates or fuses with the vinyl film and becomes part of it forming a single layer of material which varies in thickness. This increased thickness can be felt by touch, although it is not visible except under magnification. (Note Fig. 3.)

After each application of ink to the coated sheets, the sheets are passed through drying ovens which may be gas ovens, the heat being effective to evaporate the sol- Ohemical Oompositlon Vinylite Resin Other mIntriusic Sp. Gr. Refractive Softening Tensile Viscosity Index Point,F. Strength, Vinyl Vinyl p.s.i. Ohlor- Aceide tate VMOH-.. 86 13 lliibgsie 0.53 1.35 1.53 140-150 8,000-10,00fl

ci (Maleie Acid) A number of well-known techniques are available for applying this vinyl material to aluminum foil as this vinyl resin was specifically developed for use as a coating material and apparently any one may be used, howvents in the ink. The temperature of these ovens is maintained below the point at which thermal decomposition of these resins begins, a safe temperature being 275-300 F. While below the point of thermal decomposition,

ever, it is preferred that the surface of the foil be burnished none the less, such temperatures are greatly in excess of the softening point at which an unsupported vinyl film or foil stretches and deforms.

The efiect of exposing vinyl resins to heat is Well known, and it has been observed that exposing vinyl resins to light may produce chemical changes. For example, after exposure to light for long periods certain of the vinyl resins tend to decompose. Polymerization reaction of pure vinyl acetate is catalyzed by ultra-violet light. The exact effect of light on resins, however, is not known.

it has been discovered that by next exposing the printed sheets, which at this stage of the process are dry and have a composite film of vinyl resin and vinyl resin ink, to infra-red light, the film is changed to a tougher composition having materially superior physical properties than it had even in the original form, i.e., on the aluminum foil before printing. The nature of the change in composition is not known, however it apparently is a chemical change due to the application of light of the infra-red band.

After the applique designs have been printed and the coating on the foil has been treated as aforesaid, an adhesive is applied to the back of the sheet so that the individual appliques may be easily transferred and affixed to the surface which they are to ornament. For this purpose, while different adhesives are satisfactory, cellophane transfer tape #667 or #668 of Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company, has been used. This product has the advantage that it may be applied to the reverse side of the applique and the cellophane tape only removed when the applique is affixed to a surface.

As a final step, the printed sheet is passed through cutters which are effective to cut the sheet into the individual appliques.

The time required to carry out this process of making an applique, from the vinyl-coated foil sheet to the final printed product, may be measured in minutes rather than hours as was common heretofore in the preparation of decals of the class with which this one is competitive in the commercial market. By using a half-tone color printing process, images may be reproduced in artistic color, and the great versatility and the range of decorative effect which may be carried out are major features of the process of this invention.

In addition to the property of being receptive to color printing, the foil applique of this invention has other notable chemical and physical properties, among the most important being a superior resistance to color leaching from exposure to sunlight, apparently due to the vinyl film and vinyl ink combination. Since appliques made in accordance with this invention may be aflixed to equipment and machinery used outdoors, such as on automobile exteriors, outboard motors, or sporting equipment such as golf clubs, this property is of substantial value.

The visual effects which are producible are many, and include reproducing the surface appearance of metals, such as silver and gold. For example, by careful selection of the appropriate shade of a transparent yellowtinted ink, the surface of the applique may be made to closely simulate gold, and a similar effect may be produced with different colorings for other metals. These eifects are produced by the reflection of light from the burnished foil surfaces through the transparent coating and the refraction properties of the vinyl film. Furthermore, the bright metallic appearance obtained as the result of using transparent ink over a reflective backing material gives the quality metallic appearance which is greatly desired for commercial reasons. With an opaque ink (or dye) on the other hand, a dull color is produced which is desirable for some uses.

6 The cured vinyl coating itself is resistant to abrasion and protects the foil against the corrosive action of such substances as acids and alkalis. In the regions of the film which contain ink, the film remains tenaciously adherent to the foil even after the drying and curing steps during which the coated foil has been exposed to high temperatures.

It has been observed that as a consequence of treating the printed foil under infra-red light, the composite material on the foil is tougher than the film of the original unprinted sheet, due apparently to the chemical change which occurs under the action of the light.

Among other important physical properties, the final printed applique is flexible yet will substantially hold its shape when bent. Moreover, the applique does not stretch as in the manner of a cloth, paper or plastic sheet, for example. The well-known property of Vinylite VMCH of adaptability to forming is utilized to make an applique which may be bent, crimped, spun, punched, drawn or otherwise shaped without injuring adhesion of the vinyl film to the foil and without cracking the coatmg.

I claim as my invention:

1. A method of making an applique bearing a color design, which comprises the steps of applying a transparent vinyl resin film of about .0005 inch in thickness to a base sheet of altuninum, printing the color design on the surface of the film using vinyl resin ink including a solvent for the film so that the ink design fuses with the film, and drying the ink after the color design application.

2. A method of making an applique bearing a color design, which comprises the steps of applying a transparent vinyl resin film of about .0005 inch in thickness to a base sheet of aluminum, printing the color design on the surface of the film using vinyl resin ink including a solvent for the film so that the ink design fuses with the film, drying the ink, and curing the film by exposing the printing to infra-red radiation.

3. A method of making an applique bearing a color design, which comprises the steps of taking a sheet of aluminum foil having a transparent film of about .0005" thickness comprising the tri-polymer consisting of vinyl chloride vinyl acetate and interpolymerized maleic acid, printing the color design on the surface of the film by applying the composite color images of the design successively using vinyl resin ink including a solvent for the film and comprising said tri-polymer and further comprising an interpolymer of vinyl chloride vinyl acetate so that the ink fuses with the film, drying the ink after each color image application, and applying an adhesive backing to the sheet of aluminum foil.

4. An applique produced in accordance with the method of claim 1.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,156,987 Hill May 2, 1939 2,403,084 James July 2, 1946 2,494,597 Woldie Jan. 17, 1950 2,516,647 Rogers July 25, 1950 2,688,566 Arnold Sept. 7, 1954 2,714,562 Hechtrnan Aug. 2, 1955 2,739,080 Woodworth Mar. 20, 1956 2,785,993 Paist Mar. 19, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 385,226 Great Britain Dec. 22, 1932 495,420 Great Britain Nov. 14, 1938 

3. A METHOD OF MAKING AN APPLIQUE BEARING A COLOR DESIGN, WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF TAKING A SHEET OF ALUMINUM FOIL HAVING A TRANSPARENT FILM OF ABOUT .0005" THICKNESS COMPRISING THE TRI-POLYMER CONSISTING OF VINYL CHLORIDE VINYL ACETATE AND INTERPOLYMERIZED MALEIC ACID, PRINTING THE COLOR DESIGN ON THE SURFACE OF THE FILM BY APPLYING THE COMPOSITE COLOR IMAGES OF THE DESIGN SUCCESSIVELY USING VINYL RESIN INK INCLUDING A SOLVENT FOR THE FILM AND COMPRISING SAID TRI-POLYMER AND FURTHER COMPRISING AN INTERPOLYMER OF VINYL CHLORIDE VINYL ACETATE SO THAT THE INK FUSES WITH THE FILM, DRYING THE INK AFTER EACH COLOR IMAGE APPLICATION, AND APPLYING AN ADHESIVE BACKING TO THE SHEET OF ALUMINUM FOIL. 